PICTURED ABOVE: Johnny Peltz connected on a two-run home run in Wheaton's 7-6 victory over Augustana on Saturday.

Carol Stream, Ill. - The Thunder baseball team battled from behind yet again on Saturday afternoon, rallying in the seventh inning to earn a 7-6 victory over Augustana. The win in Saturday's rubber match earns the Thunder a series victory over the Vikings as Wheaton improves to 11-9 overall and 2-3 on the CCIW. Augustana is now 1-2 in conference play and 13-5 overall.

Wheaton scored its seven runs on eight hits while Augustana tallied six run on ten hits. Both teams committed three errors. Caleb Selk improved to 2-0 this season by throwing a scoreless inning of relief. Nick Johnson earned his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning of work.

With the wind howling out, both offenses went to work in the first inning, but in different ways. The Vikings used three hits and an error to score two runs in the top of the first inning. Wheaton responded in the bottom of the first with three runs thanks to four walks and a hit by pitch. Joel Pierce drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the first run and Seth Meyer recorded the only hit of the inning with a two-run single to left, putting Wheaton ahead 3-2.

Augustana tied the game in the top of the second inning with a two-out passed ball to bring in a run and then took the lead in the top of the third with another unearned run to lead 4-3.

Both starters sidestepped trouble over the next couple of innings until the bottom of the fifth inning when Ben Brittain's one-out single was followed by a home run off the bat of Johnny Peltz to put Wheaton back in the lead 5-4.

The Vikings answered in the top of the sixth inning, tagging Thunder starter Grant Howell for two runs with two outs, retaking the lead 6-5. Wheaton appeared ready to respond in the home half of the inning, loading the bases with one out, but Viking starter Chris Refka was able to get an inning-ending double play to keep the Vikings in the lead.

Caleb Selk entered in the top of the seventh, throwing an inning of scoreless relief to set-up Wheaton's seventh inning rally, which started on a two-out walk to Pierce. Seth Meyer followed with a double to deep left, chasing Refka and bringing on John Hayes. Hayes got ahead of Garrity 0-2 before a wild pitch allowed Pierce to score, tying the game at 6-6. Garrity fouled off several more pitches before lacing a single up the middle to plate Meyer with the go-ahead run.

Luke Kram shut down the Vikings in the top of the eighth inning and Nick Johnson followed with a perfect ninth inning to nail down the victory thanks to a beautiful sprawling play by Graham Core to rob the Vikings of an extra base for the first out of the inning.

Core and Meyer led the Thunder offense with two hits apiece. Meyer and Peltz each drove in two runs with Peltz and Brittain each scoring twice.

Wheaton will next be in action on Wednesday, April 3, when the Thunder travel to Decatur, Illinois, for a 6 pm first pitch at Millikin University.